Should We Really?
by NoteEmmy
Summary: Perhaps getting these Malik and Rishid to corner Jonouchi for his surprise birthday party wasn't the best idea.


The sun had set a couple of hours ago already, the temperature was dropping, and soon in just five more minutes Jonouchi would be done with his work shift. He'd been there since morning and was glad he was allowed to leave relatively early compared to most days. Working ten hour days was rough with the toil he pushed himself through but the money was worth it. His boss wasn't a complete asshole either so that was a plus. He didn't mind coming to work, no matter how much he griped about it to his friends.

Just a few blocks away two hooded men laid in wait. The cold was getting to the shorter who had wrapped his arms tightly around himself.

"She said he'd be out by now. What's taking so long?" Malik was having a hard time with all this waiting business. He was more a man of action.

Rishid laid a calm hand to his shoulder. "Patience." He warned. "It'll be worth it."

Though the two had kept in relatively close contact, making Domino one of their hubs, Malik was a bit unsure. "I don't know about this. His sister seems to think it'd be funny but…" His eyes went a little downcast, guilty. "I don't think _we_ should be the ones doing this." For obvious reasons.

The taller man shifted a little uncomfortably. "Perhaps so. But we're already here." They'd already agreed. Hopefully Jonouchi wouldn't be so twitchy and would be able to see it was them.

That was asking for entirely too much as they would soon find out. Getting home fastest was the priority when the temperature was this cold. Sure there were much worse days but he didn't much like being out in it. Especially not when he'd been hankering for some hot chocolate all day. Taking the back alleys was the best way to get to his apartment. He got a little lost in his thoughts as he tried to picture the blue box with the cocoa in it, wondering if he'd left any for himself.

It was then that the two advanced when they saw him. Jonouchi only saw the barest features.

Dark hoods. Grabbing hands. Dark skins. Blazing eyes.

Instantly his body went into fight mode. This was reminiscent of a time he still was going to therapy for- secretly, of course. No one needed to know he was that weak. But seeing it now set him back a thousand paces. He began panicking.

Malik could see it a mile away. Though he didn't operate that way anymore he'd become attuned to fear and the mind's weaknesses. This wasn't going well. "Jonouchi!" He tried to greet as cheerily as he could to help the situation.

But all it did was make it worse. That voice he recognized and played in with the other factors it set him to angry trembling. "So you come out after all these years lying in wait?!"

And as Rishid advanced with that dark voice of his that was all it took to get Jonouchi charging. Malik was an easy target. Without the rod (which Jonouchi was intently watching out for just in case) he'd be easy to down. This was evident in how it was so pathetically simple to get his elbow into that hard stomach and then flip him over his shoulder into some garbage cans.

Of course the taller of the three couldn't stand to watch. He went to just try and disable the other, arms going underneath Jonouchi's shoulders. "Stop!" The command didn't really help.

Malik struggled to get to his feet. "C-calm down already!" His hand was hovering over his already bruised stomach. "I knew this wasn't a good idea. Look-" He continued, getting a little closer to the still thrashing blond but keeping safe distance. "Your sister put us up to this!"

Jonouchi calmed for a second, a split second, but his anger came back tenfold. "You think I'd believe Shizuka would do something like this?!"

It was supposed to be a surprise. They weren't supposed to spoil it. But now, like this, after Malik had gotten hurt, Rishid didn't care anymore. "We're taking you to a surprise party."

Finally he went a little slack. "…party?"

Malik rolled his eyes getting close enough now to just playfully hit the other's head, perhaps a little harder than necessary in anger. "It's your birthday you idiot." The confused look made him frown. "…you don't remember your own birthday?"

Jonouchi eyed the other, thinking for a ridiculously long amount of time. He'd been working all day. Had it really slipped his mind? A hard pout came on his face and he straightened up. "Of course I remember! Let go now!"

Rishid did as he was told. "Are you sure?" Even he wasn't above a little jest.

"Yeah, yeah! It's just you two looking really sketchy in a back alley?! That's not my fault!" Really. What had they been thinking?

Malik sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's kind of a mess. Shizuka said to head you off before you got home so that we could take you somewhere else." She'd predicted her brother would take the back way. In just another instant a dramatic point was aimed at the other which caused him to jerk back. "But you have to act surprised now!" They'd ruined everything. His little sister had been so intent on setting up the 'greatest surprise party ever'.

"Hey! Watch it!"

Rishid raised his hands in the air with a little wave. "We don't have time for this. If we delay too much longer they'll realize something happened."

Malik nodded in agreement. "Yes, so, we have to head to the restaurant down the street now."

Jonouchi's hunger overwhelmed him. Had his friends really gone so far? It was a sweet sentiment. "Well alright!" And without much prompting he began walking.

Malik came up behind him quickly, Rishid on the other side. "But you have to act surprised!"

"Hey don't worry! Jonouchi is the best surprised-actor ever!"

Somehow the two doubted that- and were fully satisfied in their doubt when the blond's response was an elongated 'oh my god' that reminded everyone a little too much of Pegasus. Oh well


End file.
